Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California

Image|LinkIntroduction:Pfeiffer Beach is a beautiful, unspoiled beach that's popular with locals, somewhat unknown among tourists and well worth your time. Besides beautiful offshore views of rocks and sea stacks and some nice surfing waves, this beach has unusual purple sand, from manganese garnet particles washing down the hillside.

Image|LinkThe Beach is located at the end of unmarked Sycamore Canyon Road, which is the only paved, un-gated road on the west side of Highway One between the Big Sur Post Office and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Image|LinkIn December 2013 a large fire broke out on Pfeiffer Ridge, just to the north of Sycamore Canyon. When it was finally extinguished, over 900 acres burned and more than 20 homes were destroyed.